Capping machine



Dec. 25, 1928.

1,696,819 T. suTcLn-FE CAPPING MACHINE Filed April 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 25, 1928.

T. SUTCLIFFE CAPPING MACHINE Filed April 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 on the container.

Patented Dec. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES TOM. BUTCIlaIFFE, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND.

CAPPING MACHINE.

Application led April 6, 1923,'Seria1 No. 100,098, and in Great Britain .Tuly 10, 1925.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for inturning fianges or forming grooves in caps, cylinders or metal rings.

In one form this invention is particularly useful for stoppering, capping or sealing con,- tainers, such as jars, bottles, cans and like receptacles having caps or lids with depending flanges or bands adapted to be bent toy secure closures, but the machine can be adated for a variety ofother purposes.

arlous means have been suggested foreffecting the closures of the caps and sealing bands of jars, bottles and the like. In certain cases this has been done by means of a rigid die having a number of pivotal fingers to turn the lower edge of the depending rim 0r band of the cap under a ledge or in a be subject to uneven and excessive pressure and consequent breakage or ineffective closures will occur.

According to the present invention a flange or bead is formed in a metal cap, cylinder or ring by a radial pressure applied by-means of a spiral spring annulus or closed loop, the effective diameter of which is modified.

In a preferred arrangement the annular spiral spring is arranged within an annular collar, one face of which is conical and means are provided whereby the spiral annulus can be forced down this conical surfacel to alter its effective diameter. In the case of the capping of a bottle or jar, the conical surface will be an internal one, and the diameter of the annular spiral spring will be reduced to eiiect the capping operation, whereby the iiange pf the' cap or ring is turned or elastically rolled against the neck or under the ledge provided The linvention is more particularly described with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View of a jar with a cap previous to closing, the cap and closure being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a corresponding view with the capping completed, the whole being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a portion of one form of spiral spring annulus or loop ele-ment.

Figure 4 shows a portion of a modified Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the machine,

showing the head as in Fig. 1 with an operating foot treadle.

Fig. 7 is a plan viewlof the sealing strip or ring.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of this sealing strip or ring on an enlarged scale.v

The Vinvention will be described by way of example as applied to a machine suitable for sealing jars, such as 1, Figures `1 and 2, having an annular iiange 2 spaced from the top edge 3 of the neck, the under surface 4 of this flange 2 serving as an abutment for the securing of the rim 5 of 'a sealing ring 6, the top flange 7 of which bea-rs against a sealing cap 8 between which and the top surface 3 of the neck of the jar an elastic washer 9 is interposed.

The jar, with the parts of the closure as shown in Figure 1, is inserted within the capping head of a machine, such as is shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. This machine comprises a stand 10 having a foot operated pedal 11 connected by means of a connecting rod 12 to one end of a lever 13 pivoted at 14'to the stand.

10, and the outer forked arms 15 of which carry pins 16 connected to one end of connecting links 17, the op osito ends of which are connected by detacha le pins 18 to a chuck member 19having a conical internal surface 204 on which is received a spiral annularmetal wire or the like ring 21, whichmay be in the form for instance, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

After the jar 1 with the closure parts in the position as shown in Figure 1, is inserted within the abutment portion 22L of the operating head 22 integral with frame of the machine as shown in Figure 5, the foot pedal 11 Y can be depressed, which lifts the chuck member 19, so that as the inclined conical surface j 20 moves upwards the wire ring 21 is forced radially inwards along the annular flange part 23 of the abutment portion 22a the body of which bears on the upper surface of the cap A(or sealing band as the case ma be) to maintain effective sealing pressure o the cap against the neck of the jar 1 as the lower edge 5 of the sealing ring 6 is rolled around the flanged edge 4 of the flange on the ar"1. The abutment portion 22a is detachable from the the operating head 22 by releasing the bolt 24 and can be interchanged for another of a differing diameter or shape. The chuck element 19 is similarly detachable and interchangeable.

The sealing ring or strip may be of any wewell known form but is preferably of the type shown in Figure 8 in which a peripheral groove 25 is provided in the ring to weaken this along its lower edge, and assist in the easy bending under of the lower edge as a simul taneous operation by means of the annular wire or the like ring 21. v

Spring cushion means 26, adjustable by means of nuts 27, may be provided. on the trunnion ends 16 of the links 17 to avoid the danger of any'undue pressure coming upon the closure parts, which might fracture the neck of the glass or the like jar 1. This structure may comprise upwardly extending pins 17 X connected to the half journals on the upper ends of the links 17passing through holes in the upper half journal blocks 17a, and

vthreaded at the upper ends to receive the nuts 27. As shown in Fig. 6, it is preferred to space these pins 17 X so that they serve as guides for the trunnions 16, and guide these trunnions and the respective 'half bearing blocks back to the position shown in Fig. 6 whenever they are separated by an excess downward pull on the links 17.

It will be seen that the action of the conical surface 20 on the wire spiral ring 21 causes this to roll about its own peripheral axis, whilst at the same time the effective diameter of the ring is contracted, so that the Harige 5 of the cap or ring 6 will be elastically rolled under the ledge 2 on the container, and further also the cap will be drawn firmly down on the mouth of the container 1 to provide an effective hermetic seal without the necessity of any additional upward pressure of the bottle or jar against the body of the head 22.I

On the pressure of thefoot lever 11 being released, a return spring'28 lowers the conical collar 20 to allow the wire annulus spring ring to return to its normal position clear of the container with its sealed closure, which will now be as shown in Figure 2.

The invention has beendescribed with reference to the stoppering, capping -or sealing of bottles, jars and the like receptacles, but it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to the formation of an internal or an external bead or theinturning of a flange on a cylindrical body of thin metal or the like material of any form.

I declare that what I claim is 1. A machine for capping bottles or jars comprising a fixed head adapted to receive a capped jar or bottle, an annular horizontal abutment surface on sai'd head substantially with a loose skirted cap flat bottom surface, a die surroun in line with the lower edge of the flange on f 2.21 machine for capping bottles or ,jars

comprising a fixed head adapted to receive av capped jar or bottle, an annular horizontal abutment surface on said head substantially in line with the lower edge of the flange on the jar or bottle, a spiral metal wire annulus,

la conical die supporting said spiral metal wire annulus in contact with said annular abutment, links connected to said conical die for raising the same, said links and spring buffers between said operating means and said links.

3. A machine for capping bottles or jars comprising in combination a fixed head adapted to receive a loosely capped jar vor bottle, a spiral wire annulus mounted in said head and adapted to surround thecap, and means to rotate said annulus about its peripheral axis, so that the inner portions of the coils move axially awa from the head and to simultaneously radia ly contract said annulus.

4. A machine for capping bottles or jars comprising a fixed head adapted to receive a jar or bottle with a projecting neck flange thereon, said head having an outwardly extending angenwith a g and adapted to move relative to said head 1n the line of the bottle or jar axis and presenting a downwardly convergent conical surface beneath said Hat bottom surface, and a spiral coil of resiliently collapsible annular form located between andin contact with said dat and conical surfaces, whereby a relative movement ofthe die with regard to said head will lower edge of the cap skirt into engagementv beneath the neck flange.

5. A machine for capping bottles or jars j having external lip rings, com risin a head adapted to receive a jar or bott e lwit a loose V8d operating means for lifting.

skirted cap thereon, an outwardly projecting flange rigid with respect to said head during capping and having an annular bottom surface substantially in the plane of the bottom edge of the lip ring, a die surrounding and adapted to move relative to said head in the direction of the bottle or jar axis and presenting a lateral truncated conical surface coaxyia'lly with and of substantially the same diameter as said annular surface, and a resiliently collapsible helix in annular form located between and in contactwitlisaidsurfaces,whereby a relative movement of the die with regard to said head will cause a decrease in the diameter of the annulus coincident with a rolling of the convolutions of the coil along the conical surface'to exert a downward pull upon and to force the lower edge of the cap skirt into engagement beneath the neck flange.

6. A machine for capping bottles or jars comprising a head adapted to receive a bottle, or ar having a pro'ecting neck flange with a cap loosely seated t ereon, a horizontal abutment surface on said head substantially in line with the lower edge of said neck flange, a resilient spiral wire annulus, a die having a downwardly convergent conical surface opppsite said abutment surface, said annulus ing held by said surfaces opposite portions of the cap to be rolled beneath the neck flange and means to move said die and head relative to each other so that th'e annulus is forced beneath said neck flangel to roll portions of said cap thereunder to establish the lock, the bottle orv jar remaining fixed with respect to the head during such movement, said' die during its relative movement also causing a rotation of said annulus about its peripheral TOM SUTCLIFFE. 

